Perform Random Acts of Facilitation

Perform Random Acts of Facilitation

If you happen to be a member of any kind of group that meets regularly, I’m calling you to play your part in saving the world from millions of wasted hours in boring, poorly facilitated meetings!
Premise

Any participant in any group, at anytime, can commit a Random Act of Facilitation to clarify, focus, and increase the consciousness of any group. Many individuals, working independently will collectively create a healthier, sustainable future if they are willing to engage in the regular practice of Random Acts of Facilitation.

Please. Not another boring meeting!

Lets face it, the vast majority of meetings being held this moment, and those thousands more that will be held in the next hour, and every hour thereafter, ad infinitum, will be boring as hell, and a poor use of time. Why? Because they aren't being effectively facilitated. Your average participant doesn't figure they need a facilitator to help run a routine meeting. Right? After all, we've all been to hundreds of meetings. It's no big thing to hold a stupid meeting. Is it?

No you're absolutely right. It's easy to hold a "Stupid" meeting. Unfortunately, that's the way most of them turn out. And it's because few of us see the importance of "meeting process." This is America by God! This is the land of opportunity, of production. We're the land of independence. The land with the "can do" attitude. We know how to get things done here!
That's absolutely correct. We are great at getting things done. We are masters at producing. Where we now need a little help is on "how" we get things done. On our people processes.

Join the Random Acts of Facilitation Movement.

Each and everyone one of us who have sat through boring, non-productive, out of focus, "I'm wasting my time here" meetings can stop complaining and start doing something now!

I am calling on each and every one of you, no matter how low on the totem pole you might reside, to begin a personal campaign I'm calling, "Random acts of Facilitation." As a devotee of this movement, you are directed to begin asking questions about the meetings you're in. Questions that will invigorate and empower you and your peers. Here is your assignment, and I urge you to accept it:

- You will begin to see to it that a clear agenda is presented at the meeting. If it isn't, request that one be developed either in the moment or that the meeting disband and reconvene at a later time until one is prepared.
- If a meeting is begun among strangers without any introductions or simple acts of relating, you will speak out and suggest spending five minutes to go around the room and have people share something about themselves. After all, do you want to do business with total strangers when you don't have to?
- If someone is hogging the airtime, you will speak up and thank them for their great input and suggest that others be heard from too.
- Long before you've been meeting for 3 hours straight without a break, with your eyeballs floating, you'll request a short recess to accommodate personal needs and to just stretch and rejuvenate yourselves.
- When the energy is so heavy in the room you feel like you're smothering, you will say something funny to make people laugh. The fog will lift and things will start moving again. You will risk being the "fool." People will thank you later.
- When someone suggests a valid action during the meeting without assigning a responsible party and completion date, you will jump in and suggest that it be assigned, without feeling obligated to take it on yourself.
- Trust your intuition. When something feels "off," say so. You don't have to have all the answers. Just know that your intuition never lies and if you feel something, others may as well. Your courage will inspire others to speak. The collective unspoken, given voice, will bring previously undiscovered wisdom, knowledge, and energy into the room. Great things will happen. Can you handle that?

That's it. You've got your marching orders. You can do this! I have faith in you. Now go forth and boldly go where no lowly meeting participant has gone before. Into the mysterious and powerful universe of group synergy, where there's a surprise around every corner. Where magic happens! Bless you my fellow changemeisters.

About the Author:
Steve Davis, M.A., M.S., is an Facilitator's Coach, Infoprenuer, and free-lance human, helping facilitators, organizational leaders, educators, trainers, coaches and consultants present themselves confidently, access their creativity, empower their under-performing groups, enhance their facilitation skills, and build their business online and offline. Subscribe to his free weekly ezine at www.MasterFacilitatorJournal.com.